MARCH 2
1948: Guitarist Larry Carlton was born in Torrance, CA. In addition to numerous solo albums, he did a ton of session work for the likes of Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand and Michael Jackson. He also backed Johnny Lee on the 1980 hit “Lookin’ For Love.”
1950: Karen Carpenter was born in New Haven, CT. Though primarily a pop act, The Carpenters earned a country hit, 1978’s “Sweet, Sweet Smile,” written by Juice Newton. Alabama remade their single “Touch Me When We’re Dancing” as a country hit.
1959: Restless Heart’s Larry Stewart was born in Paducah, KY. He sang lead on the band’s singles in the 1980s before going solo in 1992. He scored one hit on his own with “Alright Already,” then returns to the band when it re-formed in 1998.
1963: Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins made what proved to be their final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
1965: Marty Robbins recorded Gordon Lightfoot’s “Ribbon Of Darkness” during an evening session at Nashville’s Columbia Studio B.
1967: “Almost Persuaded” earned three trophies during the ninth annual Grammy Awards. David Houston won Best Country & Western Recording and Best C&W Vocal Performance, Male, while songwriters Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton took Best Country & Western Song.
1974: “Behind Closed Doors” won two trophies–Best Country Song, for writer Kenny O’Dell; and Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for Charlie Rich–during the 16th annual Grammy awards in Los Angeles.
1977: ABC-TV airs a John Denver special, “Thank God I’m A Country Boy,” with Denver delivering the title song and “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Also appearing: Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Mary Kay Place and Roger Miller.
1979: Warner/Curb released The Bellamy Brothers’ “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me.”
1980: Johnny Cash performed at a private function for an oil company at Houston’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. It was bass player Marshall Grant’s last concert as a regular member of the band, ending a 25-year relationship.
1983: The Judds auditioned at RCA Records, singing “Change Of Heart” and “The Sweetest Gift (A Mother’s Smile)” for executives Joe Galante, Randy Goodman, Tony Brown and Norro Wilson.
1983: Sony, Philips and PolyGram unveiled their CD systems. Originally intended for audiophiles, the CD became the primary format for music by the end of the decade.
1987: Warner Bros. released the “Trio” album, by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
1988: “Forever And Ever, Amen” won Best Country Song for composers Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet during the 30th annual Grammy Awards in New York. The album the song appears on, “Always & Forever,” earned Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for Randy Travis.
1994: Joe Diffie recorded “So Help Me Girl” at Nashville’s Soundshop.
1996: Martina McBride soared tot #1 for the first time in her career with “Wild Angels.”
2001: Garth Brooks hailed Cal Smith’s “Country Bumpkin” as his favorite country song during a performance for the Country Radio Seminar at Nashville’s Convention Center.
2005: Joe Carter, the son of Carter Family founders A.P. and Sara Carter, died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Virginia. He is believed to have been the last living person present at the landmark Bristol sessions of August 1927.
2009: Grand Ole Opry member Ernie Ashworth died at the Trousdale Medical Center in Hartsville, TN. Among a handful of hits, he registered a #1 single with “Talk Back Trembling Lips.”
